Soaring
by Hippo and Friends
Summary: A Breath of Fire III fic. Realizing that there may be no return from the desert they arrived at, Ryu and Nina explore their feelings for each other. Rated R for nudity and sensuality.


Soaring By Hippo  
  
Disclaimer: I don't know why I even have to say this, but I do not own these characters.  
  
Nina stared at the remains of the aerial station she had helped destroy. Two days earlier, it had been the most powerful location in the world. Yet it took only six brave souls to take it down. But, as Nina thought about it, there was more victory to the group than just the defeat of the station. Ryu had found himself, Momo saw amazing technology, and Rei received disclosure about Teepo's fate.  
  
Most importantly, they had liberated the world from an evil goddess, who had been deceiving all of mankind for countless ages. The entire group were heroes, at least in Nina's opinion. For her, life could not be greater.  
  
But then, she noticed something in front of her that did not seem to agree with her state of mind.  
  
There was Ryu. He was seated on the rock with his head down.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked Nina.  
  
"I should have known there would be no return," replied Ryu sadly.  
  
Nina was silent.  
  
"What are we going to do?" questioned Ryu.  
  
"I don't know," replied Nina. "I've been thinking about it myself. But I'm sure one of us will come up with something."  
  
"But what if that doesn't happen," wondered Ryu out loud. "I don't want to die in this barren nowhere."  
  
"We're not going to die here," assured Nina. "But now that you mention it, we could probably start a civilization here."  
  
"I meant soon," said Ryu.  
  
"Don't be silly," replied Nina. "The ruins must have enough supplies to last a hundred lifetimes."  
  
"I just don't know I can go on," he lamented quietly. "Ever since I met Rei and Teepo, I knew I would be living the life of a thief. But I never thought I'd end up in a place like this."  
  
"Ryu, listen-"  
  
"Leave me alone," he coldly ordered.  
  
Nina headed for her tent with her head down.  
  
*****  
  
That night, Ryu had an uneasy sleep. He was wondering why he was having such a hard time lately. He had defeated a goddess, which virtually nobody would even dream of. He had liberated the entire world from her grasp, allowing them to progress in culture and technology. But it still left him empty. Then, he realized what he was really upset about.  
  
Nina. He had brought her there. She didn't have to be there. She could have been home with her parents and her kingdom. But instead, she was with him. In the desert, far away from home.  
  
He was right, too, for there would be no return. Not for him, at least. Nina, being a princess, would probably be forgiven by her parents. But not Ryu, Rei, or Momo. If they ever returned home, they would be immediately taken to their execution.  
  
And then he realized that tears were streaming down his face.  
  
"Nina," he whispered, but with only an echo responding.  
  
Suddenly, he noticed a shadow outside his tent. It was probably Rei, up to some prank, one of the type he would always pull as a kid.  
  
"Rei, this is not the time!" called Ryu from inside the tent. This did not effect the shadow's movement. Instead, it headed toward the entrance of his tent. Without thinking, Ryu reached for his sword, the only way he could think of telling Rei the meaning of no.  
  
"Rei!" he shouted loudly as he figure entered the tent. Then he dropped the sword.  
  
"Nina?" gasped the surprised Ryu. "Why are you here?"  
  
"I'm here because you're hurting, Ryu."  
  
"I'm fine," replied Ryu, looking away.  
  
"Don't lie to me, Ryu," warned Nina as she walked over to where Ryu was sitting and sat down next to him.  
  
"It's my business," he insisted while avoiding eye contact.  
  
But the persistent Nina would not quit. "I'm not leaving you to suffer, Ryu. Now will you please tell me what's going on?"  
  
"Nina," replied Ryu in a slightly more polite tone of voice, "You're better off not knowing."  
  
"Tell me," she ordered.  
  
Ryu remained silent. He did not want to speak of it. If she found out, they would both embarrassed. Nina would also probably think he was crazy, if it was all over her.  
  
"Ryu," she began, "I know what you're feeling right now. We're miles from home, and we can't find a way back. But even during times like these, we still need to remember that the four of us have each other."  
  
"It's not really that," said Ryu. "I'm not wanted back home anyway. Its something else."  
  
"What is it?" she persisted.  
  
"I can't tell you, Nina," he replied. "It's very personal."  
  
"Ryu, this isn't good for you," Nina warned. "Holding it in your heart will only make it worse."  
  
The frustration built up again inside Ryu. "Why are you doing this to me?" he pleaded.  
  
Everything went quiet. Ryu scolded himself inside, for he knew that was quite loud. He looked into Nina's face, and noticed she was beginning to tremble. Suddenly, he began to fill disgusting inside. He had obviously hurt her feelings, when all she did was try to encourage him to talk something off. But he wondered if he should even tell her. Now certainly wasn't appropriate.  
  
"Because I love you," she whispered.  
  
The world around them lost all meaning for Ryu. Because I love you? How could she really mean that? Maybe so, since she was thankful for the times he had rescued her, or maybe over the excitement he had led her into. But did she really mean it? Or was it a ploy to get him to open up to her?  
  
"Do you really love me?" asked Ryu, in turn. There was silence again.  
  
In response, Nina reached behind herself. Ryu scolded himself again. After all he had been through, trust was something he found very hard to develop, even among friends. Especially after Teepo. But Nina was clearly sincere. Ryu wondered what she was about to do. When she removed her hand from her back, he had expected her to give him some kind of gift she had been concealing. That made him feel even more guilty, since he didn't want to force her to prove her love like that. But instead, her clothes dropped to the ground.  
  
Ryu was almost in shock as Nina, the girl who saved his life as a child, who always trusted him with her life, who was always encouraging to him in dark times, now stood before him in full nudity. She kept her arms on her sides, making no effort to hide her breasts. She wanted him to see her.  
  
"Ryu," repeated Nina softly, "I love you."  
  
"I love you, too. But I just couldn't tell you."  
  
Suddenly, a smile replaced the melancholy expression on Nina's face. "Why not?" she asked.  
  
The light only revealed her upper torso, but it didn't matter to Ryu. He looked at Nina with love, not with lust. "I didn't think I should," he replied. "I mean, you're a princess, I'm a fugitive. Even if your mother forgave me, we would still be very different people."  
  
"I don't think so," Nina rebutted cheerfully. "We both had the same suspicion that something was wrong with the world. We both knew we could not be living in a cage, like She held us in. And, I hate to admit this, but we're both outcasts. I can't possibly fit into my mother's world."  
  
Ryu's lips began to form a smile through his tears. He was beginning to feel better.  
  
"And most of all," Nina continued as their faces moved so close that they were less than an inch of each other, "we both very strongly believed in you."  
  
And their lips met. Then their tongues. Nina closed her eyes as she encircled her arms around Ryu's neck. Ryu wrapped his arms around Nina's bare waist, holding her close.  
  
"I don't ever want this moment to end," she whispered into his ear.  
  
"Neither do I, Nina," Ryu softly replied.  
  
"Oh, Ryu, I love you so much. I've wanted to tell you since I first saw you again, but I was just too shy. But I promise never to be shy again."  
  
"Based on what's happened so far tonight, I can believe that."  
  
Both broke out laughing.  
  
"Nina, I'm sorry I was rude," apologized Ryu after the laughter died down. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you. It's just that-"  
  
"Ryu, I understand," whispered Nina.  
  
"Nina, I understand as well. You wouldn't leave me, not matter how I reacted to your compassion. That was the strongest love I had ever experienced. But I don't think I would even have the will to live without you by my side."  
  
"What are you trying to tell me?" asked the princess nervously.  
  
"I want you to marry me, Nina," he whispered.  
  
Nina's heart skipped a beat. "Of course I'll marry you!" she squealed in pure joy.  
  
She threw her arms around the man she loved and pressed her lips against his. Barely able to believe this was happening, Nina rested her head on Ryu's shoulder as he gently rocked her.  
  
Then suddenly, the smile faded from his face.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked, looking up into his eyes.  
  
"I don't have a ring," lamented Ryu.  
  
"Ryu, you don't need one. What you say comes from your heart. And that's more precious than any ring could ever be."  
  
"Actually, I do have something," said Ryu, with a gleam in his eye.  
  
With that, he headed for the backpack on the floor. After a few seconds of rummaging, he pulled out a crystal necklace, with a butterfly to match.  
  
Nina was almost speechless. "R-Ryu," she stammered, "this is beautiful!"  
  
"It's meant to symbolize rebirth. A new life," he informed her.  
  
"Where did you get this?" asked the wet-eyed Nina.  
  
"I made it," replied Ryu. "When I woke as an adult, I missed you terribly. After I left the mines for good, made it from materials I found in there. I did it to keep faith that I would see you again. So I could give it to you."  
  
With that, he took the necklace and gently placed it around her neck. The lace fit loose around her neck, making a V, and the butterfly rested between her uncovered breasts.  
  
Almost instinctively, Nina threw her arms around Ryu again and kissed him, lifting her leg into the air.  
  
"Thank you so much," she whispered after the kiss broke, with another happy tear rolling down her face.  
  
Suddenly, he placed his hand on Nina's left breast, his palm on her nipple. His mouth quickly went dry. Both his hands began to tremble, and he felt an uneasy sensation of regret building inside.  
  
"I shouldn't have done that," he thought.  
  
Almost as if in response, Nina placed her on hand on Ryu's and held it there. "It's okay," she assured softly.  
  
Ryu smiled and pressed his lips against Nina's again. She was so overwhelmed with joy that she spread her wings wide. "I'm not sorry," she whispered after the long kiss finally broke. "I don't care if we spend the rest of our lives in the desert with you by my side."  
  
"You really think the four of us could start a civilization here?" asked Ryu.  
  
"You and me. Rei and Momo. It could work," she giggled slightly.  
  
The two kissed again. Ryu realized this brought him joy, knowing there was a woman who loved him with all her heart. Nina felt the same. Nobody else had loved her this way.  
  
"You really think we'll be okay, King Ryu?" asked the winged girl.  
  
"We'll make it, Queen Nina," he whispered.  
  
Inside, they were soaring. 


End file.
